Culture pure (this time for real)

First addendum (Mother explicitly requests):

• Number and names of the mosques we visited and loved: Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya), and Solollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque.

Day 3.

Oh man, I always sleep in the morning. This cannot go on, but what can you do? We never set an alarm here. What's on the schedule for today? First of all, I wonder how Mother will get all her souvenirs, purchases, and gifts back home. Let's remember: She already had 17.2 kilos on the way here. Then I can only hope that her carry-on has plenty of space. And my fear is not unfounded, because she will buy many more beautiful things throughout the day...

Breakfast is short and sweet, and we go to a small mosque first and are very impressed with its furnishings. The way there leads through very small hilly streets with beautiful houses and small hotels/apartments. It's deserted. Afterwards, we stroll to the little Hagia Sophia. It is located on the southern edge of the historic city center. The Little Hagia Sophia is sort of a miniature version of its world-famous sister, or rather, the architectural model for the Big one. There is also a small café and a few shops. Very cute.

Punctual like clockwork and with the Istanbul Welcome Card in hand, we head to the Topkapi Palace. There we receive a 30-minute guided tour and afterwards we can explore the area ourselves. The group is very small and manageable, especially since we immediately lose two people from Costa Rica🙃.

The area of the palace is approximately 700,000 square meters. This area is twice as large as that of the Vatican. The area is divided into four courtyards and separates individual parts from each other. It consists of small pavilions, studios, reception rooms, mosques, baths, gardens, kitchens, libraries, and not to forget the harem. Throughout the centuries, all Ottoman rulers endeavored to expand and enrich the facility. The Topkapi Palace was the residence of various sultans and a place of education and management.

The first courtyard used to be accessible to everyone - there were bakeries, hospitals, and so on. Only the Sultan personally was allowed to ride on his horse through the gate to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th courtyard. All others who were also allowed to enter the other courtyards had to dismount from their horses as a sign of respect.

The weather is glorious, the grounds look very beautiful, well-maintained, and green, inviting you to linger. We decide to have lunch, especially since it seems like I can have something warm to eat today. And tada... my intuition is confirmed. It's a good Sultan lifestyle with a view of the water🙃.

But once again, the men catch my attention, with very short hair and parts of their heads/hair dyed red. Some of them still have something like a bandage on their head. What is that? I approach a man who has this exact characteristic, and he explains to me that the red hair is newly transplanted hair... interesting. Many men here obviously choose to fight their thinning hair in various beauty clinics. There are approximately 350 clinics in Istanbul alone that offer hair transplants for around €2000... for comparison: USA about €15,000.

With this new knowledge, we head to the bazaar (once again). In addition to earrings, we also buy soap and chocolate (my god, it's delicious) and shoes for a certain lady, who already has no more space in her suitcase... but treat yourself!

Speaking of women... Istanbul remains a world of men. Overall nice, sometimes a bit pushy, but within limits.

Istanbul! Yes, I like you and traveling with Mother is also a pleasure. As if she were Turkish, a local, she led us through the streets without internet. One was the guide, the other the photographer. Points for the city?! Hmm, out of 10 possible points, Mother gives the city 9 points, I think I agree. I would deduct one point for the food, which doesn't quite suit my taste, although I still eat a lot😂😂😂

Otherwise, I feel very safe here, despite or because of the high police presence. The dogs, however, won't leave my mind - how can stray dogs look so well-groomed? And why do they all look like they come from the same family?! Worth mentioning!

Tomorrow at 10 o'clock we will say goodbye to the Grand Naki - our beautiful, small hotel, centrally located but quite peaceful - and to the city of Istanbul... back home 😊

Istanbul? Worth a visit, definitely ❤️

And I have to add: just at the Istanbul airport, we saw 5 people with freshly operated noses and 28.5 men with freshly transplanted hair, also recognizable by the bandages and/or headbands or hats with the name of the clinic. A feast for the eyes 🤢😂, I am fascinated, disgusted, and amazed at the same time. Also worth an anecdote: fight on board, some seats were obviously double booked. No problem one might think, they can argue about it for as long as we don't leave on time, instead of sitting in one of the countless available seats. Temperament gets the better of some people, so that not even the flight attendants can do anything anymore😂.